late dross:

12 july: 53 med gulls roosting on ovingdean beach (8 ad, 10 2nd sum, 31 1st sum, 4 juvs).

11 july: 33 med gulls roosting on ovingdean beach ( 5 ad, 4 2nd sum, 23 1st sum, single juv). also juv med and lbbg at the marina.

10 july: purple emperor on deck at madgeland master trees (pic to follow at some point)

9 july: still a few med gulls knocking about with 20 (5 ad, 15 1st sums) on ovingdean beach and 15 (3 ad, 2nd sum, 9 1st sum and 2 juvs) on rottingdean beach.

7 july: a massive increase in med gull numbers. 59 were seen comprising 3 flocks of 30, 21 and 7 at ovingdean, rottingdean and the marina respectively. there were 22 ad, 6 2nd sums, 26 1st sums and 5 juvs. i know there only meds but this is still an unprecedented roost count for the area tho large numbers pass E in the spring.

2 july: few pics from goodwood but its probably too boring to put up a load of car pics. i did see the new merc SLS, bugatti (including 'pur sang' edition), ferrari 599 GTO and 458, new noble M15, caparo T1, zonda, mclaren MP4-12c and that weird lambo reventon. oh yeah and a few F1 cars. see i told you its boring.

y'day: a red kite was found near beddingham junction at 5:45am and was also seen by dave cooper who was driving a little way behind me. the gropper was still reeling on willingdon levels but most other sites were pretty lacking in birds.

more late news: a pair of red grouse with 2 young were seen on saddleworth moor on sun (30th).

4 red kites flew over the work site in hove this morning.

perhaps the best of todays birding was the remaining gropper still reeling on willingdon levels and a surprising amount of waders on the midrips included summer plumaged dunlin (23), turnstone (1), knot (2), blackwit (5) and best of all, 2 little stints. a sum plum barwit was at scotney too. slightly amusing was a monumental queue of traffic stretching from camber sands back onto the bridge over the rother in rye!!!

yday: temmincks stint showing well at arlington and a pair yellow wags were at shinewater.

news for weekend 8/9th: 13 ringed plovers flew low over arlington during a rain front on the sat with the 2 rumpers seen early on sunday morn along with a flock of 12 dunlin and 3 ringed plovers which flew low over the water then NE. later in the day 300 swifts were at scotney with c.100 BHG's hawking low over the water, 2 separate pairs of marsh harriers were elsewhere and an oystercatcher flew N over shinewater!

a red kite flew NE over brighton this afternoon.

pretty poor bank holiday so far, depsite arlington brimming with hirundines no rumpers could be found in visits last nite and this morning, just 2 dunlin, common sand and hobby. newhaven fort, shinewater, pevensey levels very quiet and a pair of yellow wags were at rise farm. the jay was found last week on A23.

the day started doing the usual lewes brooks, deans farm and then newhaven fort where 5 male wheatears were too good to resist so went back to get the camera. 2 ravens and a sedge warbler were seen there too. i then picked up some tasty grub from middle farm and headed to arlington. immediately there were 5 little gulls just off the dam but before i could scan the res a birder informed me he just found a bonapartes gull. being a little sceptical it was a few anxious seconds as i scanned the water and soon found the bird in question, a nice adult to boot. being the first confirmed bonapartes gull in the county since the pagham 2002 bird (which i missed due to living in oz) it was a pretty nice grip back. in all 38 little gulls were counted and at no point where there ever 60 as reported. also green sand and greenshank there.

an osprey flew over the garden this anoon.

this mega distant avocet was found on lewes brooks this evening.

At last! after a 2 month wait i can finally provide details of a colour ringed caspian gull found at brighton marina on 5 Jan. a yellow ring with black PAHP, it was ringed in a caspian gull colony in poland on 21 may 09 and has travelled 1384km. it was also seen in france prior to the marina but i dont have the details to hand.

late news: mist during the afternnon of the 19th produced my first wheatears of the year with 10 at the marina along with 2 chiffs. the following day pett pools held 83 ad LBBG's, various argies, a 'yellow legged' gull and a swallow.

the spring certainly stepped up a gear this morning when i found an alpine swift. driving south through rodmell i suddenly exclaimed to me bro 'theres a f##king swift'. hard on the handbrake we lept out the car and had good views as it flew low down circling over the roof tops close enough to see the white throat at times thru bins. with the weather clearing it gained a bit of height and after twenty mins drifted off south. a great find tick. it appears to be the earliest for sussex beating one at the crumbles on 25 march 1990. elsewhere, 2 white wagtails were on lewes brooks and 2 black reds were at cooden beach. also of interest was a steady passage of black headed gulls overhead today especially at arlington where large flocks were arriving from the south circling over the res then heading off north. various med gulls were seen/heard amongst the flocks at all sites.

news for 14th: this bittern was found last sunday morning in trees around the flood at deans farm, it was still present late afternoon when it had moved down to the waters edge. the pair of garganey and a firecrest were also seen there.

the pair of garganey were still present this morning between piddinghoe and southease on the W side of road just south of Dean's farm. 

a dismal day weather wise but at least the birding was slightly better. 4 bewicks swan (2 ad+2 juvs-1 ad with yellow neck collar) were on pevensey levels just east of middle bridge. 2 bitterns showed very well brielfy at shinewater.

yday: with nothing else to do, went to have a look at the crane at southease. on the way a red kite was found between lewes and beddingham and eventually flew down the valley. it was seen again half hour later flying N up the valley where it came very close overhead, pics taken with just camera. the crane was seen in the usual field and later in the day 10 or so jack snipes, woodcock and green sand were seen somewhere else.

at arlington this morning there were colour ringed GBBG's from jersey and norway. 2000 GBBGs were counted in the cuckmere but nothing could be found amongst them typically. the great grey shrike showed well along the pannel sewer to the west of the road.